


The King's Bath

by plotweaver



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Everybody Lives, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2015-08-31
Packaged: 2018-04-18 09:44:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4701416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plotweaver/pseuds/plotweaver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo is very content with his home in Erebor, but when he mentions a certain something that he misses about the Shire, Thorin can't help but show him what Erebor has to offer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The King's Bath

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Hope the tone is consistent in this piece. I had to write it during multiple sittings. I hope you like it!
> 
> *Note* - Kidhuzurâl means "Golden One" in Khuzdul

Bilbo, for the most part, felt at home in Erebor. 

He had a home in the Earth, once again. It didn't matter that the Earth was hard and immovable. The dwarrows had shown him the beauty in such things. The veins of gold splitting the smooth, granite walls. The delightful heat of water taken straight from beneath the mountain. And they had given him chambers with a terrace, overlooking the West. The terrace was made of shockingly fertile soil, as high up as it was. Bombur had been exceptionally helpful at assisting Bilbo in the selection of what crops he should grow in his new, little garden.

Bilbo saw the sun as much as he wanted. Every week he walked to the market a mile from Erebor. He traded with the merchants of Dale and picked small flowers from the brush on his way home. Thorin called on him every morning, inviting him to the daily inspection of the guard just as the sun hit the ramparts.

Still, something was missing. He had the sun, the Earth, the air, but he missed the water.

The Shire had the most tranquil lakes, undisturbed by the careless speeds of rushing rivers or thrashing tails of various creatures. On the days he meant to avoid Lobelia, which was nearly every day, Bilbo took solace in a particularly small pond. The pond lay in a clearing quite difficult to reach, hidden by trees and a steep incline as it was. No hobbit would go through the trouble of snagging brambles to get to a pond, and that's why Bilbo loved it. Secluded from the eyes of his neighbors and family, he spent hours fishing. He sat on the perfect cushion of grass, dipped his feet in the cool water, and cast his rod. Other days he would bring a book and read by the pond, listening to the subtle movement of the water. He even drew the pond on multiple occasions, but those sketches were buried deep in a trunk somewhere in Bag End.

Bilbo missed that pond. He missed the peace that came with it. He was happy to help the dwarrows rebuild their kingdom and he was enchanted with his new home, but sometimes, in his mind's eye, he could picture it so perfectly...

"Is everything well with you?"

Thorin's deep voice yanked Bilbo back to reality. 

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Yes. Everything is fine," Bilbo said.

They had just begun their morning walk and came upon the first set of guards on the front gates, who promptly snapped to attention.

"You seem more distracted than usual," Thorin said.

"Oh. No, just thinking."

"Good thoughts?"

Bilbo paused before answering, "Yes. Thoughts of home. Of the Shire, I mean."

Thorin stiffened, but kept pace with Bilbo as he continued to walk.

"I know Erebor is not... the same as the Shire. I know there are a lot of things that you miss. If you wish... to leave, then-"

"Oh!" Bilbo stopped walking and looked up at Thorin, who was pointedly looking at the ground. "No. I'm very grateful for my home here. I, erm, I-"

Thorin looked at him then. His blue eyes were soft, but there was never a time where Bilbo didn't feel the power beneath them. It electrified the ends of his fingertips, the tips of his toes. And it always made him tell Thorin exactly what was on his mind.

"There's a pond in the Shire. Secluded. Peaceful. I spent many happy afternoons there, and I miss it." Bilbo shrugged dismissively. 

"What do you miss about it?" Thorin asked.

"The quiet, mostly. The feel of the water on my feet."

Bilbo looked up to see Thorin beaming. He forgot all about the pond in the Shire. He forgot about the cool water when the heat of Thorin was so close. Forgot the blue of the pond when faced with Thorin's eyes. They crinkled at the corners. It was breathtaking, really. Bilbo's voice had faltered, and he struggled to regain it.

"What?" was all he could manage.

Thorin merely shook his head and continued with the evaluation of the guard. Bilbo followed. They did not talk about the pond nor the Shire for the rest of the day. That was that, Bilbo thought.

\---

The next morning Bilbo woke at his usual time and began his normal morning routine. He had absolutely refused a dresser or any other type of servant long ago, despite Thorin's protests. Therefore, he was rather surprised at the early knock on his door.

"Thorin? It's not yet time for our walk. I'm not quite ready," he said, crossing his chambers to the door. He threw it open, fully expecting Thorin's impressive figure to fill the doorway, but was rather embarrassed by the presence of a dwarf he had not seen before. Bilbo pulled his dressing gown in tight around himself.

"Erm, yes. Can I help you?"

The dwarf presented him with a small bundle. 

"The king requests that you wear this today. He will come to collect you shortly."

Bilbo took the bundle and made to close the door, but the dwarf shuffled his feet.

"Is there something else?" Bilbo asked.

"The king asked that I help you with the garments. I understand that they might be different than traditional hobbit attire-"

"No," Bilbo said, and he shut the door in the dwarf's face. He grimaced a little after he was alone once more. Sure, he may have been quite rude to a complete stranger, but had Thorin not learned? Bilbo could take care of himself, thank you very much. He had dressed himself for 50 years and had done fine. There was no need to be waited on hand and foot, even if he had run off a dragon and helped reclaim a fallen kingdom.

Bilbo unfolded the garment and was immediately puzzled. There were no sleeves, no stockings. The trouser legs came up rather short. He had been naked in front of the company before, even Thorin, as they took hasty baths in creeks and rivers on their journey, but that did not mean he was comfortable baring his arms and legs in front of the whole Mountain. He put on the garment hastily and wrapped his dressing gown over himself, determined to ask questions when Thorin arrived.

A few moments later and the king did arrive, clothed in a dressing robe as well. 

Bilbo had barely opened his mouth to speak when Thorin said, "Come. I have something I wish to show you."

The dwarf king seemed to vibrating with some kind of energy that took Bilbo a few moments of puzzling before he realized it was excitement. Thorin was excited. And it was this realization that kept Bilbo's mouth shut while Thorin led him through the mountain, into unknown passageways and past rooms he had never seen before. 

Thorin stepped into a very well-hidden tunnel, a crack in the wall, really, and Bilbo followed. They walked for a considerable time on the steep decline. Bilbo stumbled more than once, unable to find footing. Thorin steadied him, and they continued on. 

Suddenly, the tunnel opened into a cavernous space, and the sight was nothing short of breathtaking. Massive stalactites hung, impressive and graceful in their stillness, from the ceiling. The dark walls of the cave held veins of some glowing, ethereal rock that cast a wonderfully soft, warm light into the space.

And in the center of the cave was a lake.

The water glowed, as if the rock in the walls was also in the bed of the lake. The surface was calm, smooth as glass. The cave was a sculpture of gems.

Bilbo stepped forward, wide eyed, and Thorin placed his hands behind his back before speaking.

"Do you like it?" Thorin looked rather nervous.

"It's beautiful. Truly."

"It is one of Erebor's best kept secrets," Thorin said. "Few dwarves know of its existence. Even fewer know the path to it."

"And you would share this information with me?"

Thorin bowed his head, and Bilbo could not see his expression. "You mentioned the water near the Shire. I thought it would make you less homesick."

Not for the first time, Bilbo felt an overwhelming swell of something in his chest. He wanted to reach out to Thorin, to take his hand and thank him for everything. Instead, Bilbo cleared his throat.

"Can we?" Bilbo gestured forward, and Thorin nodded. Bilbo walked forward with increasing awe. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Thorin shed his robe, and so he did the same. He heard a small noise from Thorin and so Bilbo turned, surprised at the smile on Thorin's face.

"You would not let Ibûn dress you?" Thorin appeared to be holding back laughter. Bilbo, on the other hand, huffed a little.

"No, I would not. Honestly, Thorin, I am quite capable of dressing myself."

"I have no doubt of that, Master Burglar." Bilbo softened a bit at the use of the nickname before Thorin continued, "Though you have the garment on inside out."

Heat rushed into Bilbo's cheeks and along the back of his neck.

"It is no matter," Thorin reassured. "It will still serve as a bathing costume whether it be worn correctly or not."

All retorts died on Bilbo's tongue when he realized how close he was to the water. Even up close it was gorgeously still, and the Took in him wanted to splash violently into it. 

Instead, he stepped into it cautiously. First his left, then his right. The rock underneath his feet was smooth. He moved his feet slowly, taking care not to slip.

"It's warm," he said. Thorin, who had come to stand beside him, nodded. "In the Shire our ponds were cool."

"Do you not like it?" Thorin asked.

"No. I mean, yes. I mean, I don't not like it." Bilbo huffed a little. "It's quite wonderful." 

Thorin's face softened and they stepped forward together, wading a little deeper in the water. 

"How can it stay so warm?"

"There is a spring deep in this water. It is too deep to disturb the surface, but it still warms the water."

Bilbo was in to his hips. He stopped to trail his fingers on the surface of the water. The glow rippled and swirled, hypnotizing him. 

Until Thorin took off at a running start to dive into deeper waters.

The dive was surprisingly graceful. His thick arms stretched before him, his body brought in line by the taut muscles in his torso. His powerful legs launched him quite swiftly, but Bilbo saw he had enough time to point his feet before he disappeared entirely under the water. Against the underwater glow, Bilbo could see the dark figure of Thorin as he stretched his limbs fully for a brief moment before kicking up to the surface.

And what a sight he was when he came up for air. His dark hair slicked nicely down his head before fanning out under the surface of the water. Thorin grinned as droplets slid down his face. Bilbo felt as though his stomach had flipped. 

Thorin lifted his hand from the water and gestured to Bilbo. "Come," he said. Thorin was fifteen meters out into the water, and so Bilbo shook his head.

Thorin still held his hand out. "The water is just as warm here as it is there."

"No, thank you. I am perfectly fine where I am."

"Come, Bilbo."

"No." It made no difference that the water was lit, no difference that he could see exactly what was around him. Bilbo did not want to go farther in. He did not want to give up the anchor that his feet had on the rock beneath him to feel lost in the water. Instead of this he said, "Hobbits do not swim. We wade."

Thorin swam a few strokes toward Bilbo, a look of seriousness on his face. He appeared to weigh Bilbo's words in his mind for a long time before speaking.

"You truly do not swim?"

Bilbo dropped his eyes to the rippling water. "Well, we don't really have a need for it in the Shire. We fish on the lake and might take a dip every now and again to cool off. But our ponds and lakes are shallow." Bilbo looked up. Thorin's eyes had not left him. Heat spread uncomfortably up Bilbo's neck.

Thorin moved closer, until he was standing in front of Bilbo. The swimming costume clung to his body, highlighting the muscles in his chest. He put his hand out, palm up. An offering. Bilbo hesitated for a brief moment before taking it.

The skin of Thorin's hand was rough, but warm. His hand enveloped Bilbo's and guided him steadily into the water. Bilbo's gaze remained firmly on Thorin. If he concentrated on Thorin's striking eyes, his surroundings disappeared. Then his toes left the ground. 

The muscles in Bilbo's body immediately seized and his head dipped below the surface. It might have been only for a second, but what an unpleasant second it was. Bilbo resurfaced, sputtering and flailing. He couldn't see - water was in his eyes. He could hardly breathe, and he certainly could not find anything to hold on to. Nothing was secure.

Strong arms circled Bilbo. "I've got you. It's okay."

Bilbo grasped Thorin's shoulders, desperate to get his hands on something solid. The sight of his hands on Thorin stilled him. He relaxed his grip and gently moved his hands along Thorin's collarbone for a moment before realizing what he was doing. 

"You can reach the bottom here?" Bilbo asked.

Thorin nodded. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," Bilbo said. "Erm... hobbits tend to the Earth. We like being surrounded by Earth. This," he gestured around him, "is not Earth."

"It is what you make of it," Thorin said. "Water is calm when you are calm, and chaotic when you-"

"Flap around like a great idiot?"

Thorin smiled and shifted his arms around Bilbo until he was cradling him.

"Lie back. Let the water hold you," Thorin said.

Bilbo did not obey.

"I will not let you go. I promise."

Reassured by the intensity of Thorin's gaze as he said these words, Bilbo began relaxing, muscle by muscle. He tipped his head back and felt the warm water tickle his scalp. It felt wonderful, like the sun on a temperate day. When the water hit his ears, he tensed.

"Relax, Kidhuzurâl." 

Bilbo obliged, letting his ears dip below the surface of the water. The water thrummed in his ears as Thorin carefully moved him through the water. He had closed his eyes moments ago, but only now did he find peace in it. He could not hear, could not see. He could only feel. The water tousled his hair and caressed his feet. Thorin's arms remained strong under his back and legs. It was incredibly exhilarating, feeling so free and so secure at once. On an impulse, Bilbo stretched his arms out, letting them glide through the water. It was bliss.

He opened his eyes and saw Thorin openly staring down at him. His expression was unguarded, unschooled. If Bilbo didn't know any better, he would have said it was a face of awe. But Thorin had been to this cave many times, and the glow from the water was dancing over his face, so Bilbo must have seen wrong. He lifted his head barely enough so that his ears surfaced. 

"I'm sorry. I got away from myself."

"On the contrary," Thorin said, his voice low, "the water becomes you quite well." 

Bilbo pulled himself more upright. Water dripped from his hair onto his shoulders, and his ears felt suddenly cold. Thorin was close, however, and heat radiated from his chest. Bilbo realized that he had stayed silent for too long and struggled with something to say.

"Why are there no other dwarves here?"

Thorin looked taken aback, but answered quickly.

"This is the King's Bath," he said. "It is lit with the light of precious stones and closest to the earth below us. Ancient legend says it is a place of sacred rejuvenation." Thorin shook his head, dismissing this. "It is merely a good bath."

"Merely?" Bilbo repeated incredulously. "It is beautiful." 

Thorin preened a little, and Bilbo tried to concentrate on that and not on that tiny, niggling part of his brain wondering what they were doing clothed if this were truly a bath.

"Other members of the royal family know of this place as well," Thorin continued, "but I made sure Dis kept Fili and Kili otherwise occupied today."

"Oh?"

"You said you enjoyed the peace of the lake in the Shire. My nephews would insure that we had no peace."

Bilbo laughed. 

It was peaceful in the water with Thorin. But there were moments, like when Thorin pulled him in closer or when one of Thorin's damp braids tickled his cheek, that Bilbo did not feel very peaceful at all. His heart ached and his fingers twitched, eager to feel more than just water.

Thorin held Bilbo close enough that their foreheads were touching. 

"Do you trust me, Kidhuzurâl?" 

Bilbo nodded without a thought, a slight gesture due to their proximity.

Without another word, Thorin submerged them both. 

Bilbo was surprised, but he did not thrash about like he did when he first slipped under the surface. Instead, he clung to the solid dwarf holding him and forced his eyes open.

Thorin was radiant under the water. His hair billowed above him, bubbles clung to the strands. His face held all the composure of the most serious of council meetings, but here it was framed in light. And it was just for Bilbo. In those few precious seconds underwater, it was just the two of them. No worries of the kingdom, no meddling nephews, no horrendous battles. Just Bilbo and Thorin, holding on to each other.

All too soon they resurfaced. Neither spoke, both afraid to break whatever spell the water had put on them. 

Thorin began walking toward the edge of the lake. Bilbo expected to be released once they reached shallower waters, but Thorin still cradled him close. 

Thorin did not set Bilbo down until they were on the shore, where they left their robes. He did it slowly, making sure Bilbo had solid footing before finally stepping back. Devoid of the warmth of the water and Thorin, Bilbo felt very cold indeed. He shivered as he put his robe on. 

Thorin put his on as well and nodded toward the exit.

"Can we come back soon?" Bilbo asked, disregarding any desire for propriety. 

"Of course, Kidhuzurâl."

**Author's Note:**

> Why, yes, I may have made a mash up of that one scene in Fern Gully and that other scene in Tuck Everlasting. Maaaaybe.
> 
> Let me know what you thought in the comments!
> 
> Also, I'm on tumblr as plotweaver!


End file.
